Police charged perpetrators in just 4.5% of 'revenge porn' cases last year, super-complaint reveals

From the Newshound archive · first published 7 October 2026.

Lawyers have launched a super-complaint against police forces across England and Wales after research revealed that officers routinely dismiss reports of image-based abuse, with an average charge rate of just 4.5% of cases last year. Leigh Day solicitors gathered evidence from 100 victims who reported intimate images shared without consent. Some forces recorded charge rates below 1%, while referrals to the Revenge Porn helpline climbed by more than 4,000% between 2015 and 2025. Women and girls account for 98.9% of reported cases.

Complainants were told 'boys will be boys' and 'I bet you've learned your lesson', according to researchers.

In Scotland, 53 Police Scotland officers are suspended on full pay; seven in ten of the allegations relate to domestic abuse, sexual offences or stalking.